waldo r



(No Model.) W. A 2Sh'eets-vSheet 1*.

LUCK.

Patented May 3, 1892.'.

...Inruil :Spinning-lm i (Ng Model.)

2 Sheets-@Sheet 2.

vW. R. BALLoU.

LOCK.

PatentedMay 3,1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VALDO R. BALLOU, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE YALE du TOWNEMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,281, dated May 3,1892.

Application filed January 13, 1892. Serial No. 417,945. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.: The improvement above referred to is set Beit known that I, VALDO R. BALLOU, of forth in Letters Patent No.405,057, granted Stamford, in the county of Fairfield, in the .I une 1l,1889, to the Yale da Towne Manufac- State of Connecticut, have inventedcertain turing Company upon the application of War- 55 5 new and usefulImprovements in Locks, of ren H. Taylor, assigner to the said company.which the following is a specification. In my improvement I adopt thesame or a My invention relates to locks Which have similar mode ofpositively connecting the conindependent escutcheons or tumbler casesnecting-bar to the key-plug of the tumbler which are applied on theoutside of doors, dac., mechanism, and I pass the said connecting-bar 6o1o and are connected to the latch-bolt-operating throughaslotin theroll-back ofthe latch-opermechanism by a connecting-bar or similardeating mechanism to any extentrequired bythe vice. thickness orthinness of the door. In order to The general obj ect of my improvementsis provide a greater range of adj ustlnent to suit a to render suchlocks easier of application and reduced thickness of the door Withoutthe ne- 65 I5 to make the adjustment and putting together cessity ofcutting oit or reducing the length of their parts by the mechanic inapplying of the connecting-bar, as described in the them to use moresimple and to insure their Taylor patent, No. 405,057, above' referredto, correct and satisfactory operation without I employ a thumb-knob forthe inner side of such nice and accurate fitting as has heretothe latch,excavated or hollowed out axially, 7o zo fore been required. Iam thusenabled to propreferably as far as its length will permit, so vide alock of this description of the mostimthat the end of the connecting-barmay, if proved and efticient construction which can necessary, extendwithin the said thumb-knob readily be applied to doors of variousthickwhen required in applying the lock to a door nesses by a mechanicot' ordinary skill. of small thickness. Another difficulty vwhich 75 2 5One of the difficulties heretofore encounhas occurred in the adjustmentand connectered in adjusting to a door or other object tion of the partsof a lock of this character the parts of a lock of this class has beenthat which are applied to the opposite sides of a the connecting-barbetween the escutcheon door has resulted from the necessity of securandtumbler mechanism on the outside and ingtheexternalescutcheonandtumblermech- 8o 3o the latch mechanism on theinside was placed anismby inside fastenings which cannot be loosely into a slot in the end ofthe key-plug approached from the outside, and the resultof theescutcheon and into a corresponding ing difficulty of adapting thelength of the slot in the roll-back or cross-head, whichopattaching-screws by which the escutcheon is crates the latch, andthere held only by besecured to the `thickness of the particular 85 35ing iitted approximately in length to the space door to which the lockis applied. In the patbetween these two slots. Such tting of the ent ofVtarren H. Taylor, above referred to, connecting-bar has to be done Withconsiderthis difficulty is overcome in a manner by the able nicety andis not easily accomplished employment of screwsforholdingthe escutchwithsuticient accuracy by the tools and skill eon, provided with a series ofannular grooves, 9c 40 0f the Ordinary lleOhHiC- so that the saidescutcheon-holding screws To overcome the difficulties above referredmight be broken ott to approximately the reto, a plan has been devisedby which the conquired length: In my present improvement meeting-bar ispositively connected at one end I provide a wider range of adjustmentWithwith the key-plug, which is operated by the out weakening the screwsby the employment 9 5 45 key from the outside, and passes through an ofscrew-receiving pockets or sockets interaperture in the hub of theroll-back or crossnally threaded for the reception of the screws head,which operates the latch, so that it is and adapted to be adjustedlongitudinally in securely prevented from escape without havthe frame ofthe escutcheon or tumbler meching to be fitted accurately between slotsin anisn1,s0 that the said screw-pockets maybe roo 5o the respectiveparts which engage its oppomade to project to a greater or less extentsite ends. within the vopening through the door, according to thethickness of the latter, as hereinafter described.

My invention particularly consists in the provision of screw-threadedpockets 'longitudinally adjustable for the reception ot theholding-screws, alsoin the construction of said pockets with externaltransverse grooves or. notches engaging with lugs on the tumblercase,whereby they are secured adj ustably; and, further', in the combinationof the adjustable screw-pockets and holding-screws, an operating-barattached to the rotary key-plug, andan interior thumb-knob excavatedlongitudinally to permit the passage ot the operating-bar to anindefinite distance Within thelock and roll-backs rotated by theoperating-bar and thumb-knob, respectively, so as to retract the latchby the key from the outside or by the thumb-knob from within, the wholecooperating, as herein described, to permit the application andoperation of the lock on doors of various thicknesses, as described.

In order that my invention maybe fully understood, I will proceed todescribe it in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings', inwhich- Figure I is a vertical section ot my improved lock applied to avery thin door, the escutchcon and tumbler-case being shown inelevation. Fig. II is a vertical section of the same, showing it appliedto a much thicker door. Fig. III is a horizontal section of portions ofthe lock, showing the lock-case and the escutcheon and tumbler-case andtheir connecting-screws and screw-pockets in plan View, the parts beingapplied to a thin door, as shown in Fig. I. Fig. IV is a plan view ofthe escutcheon, tumbler-case, connecting-bar, screws, and screw-pocketsdetached, showing them in the relative positions which they occupy whenthe lock is applied to a very thick door, as illustrated in Fig. II.Fig. V is a rear view of the escutcheon and tumbler-case and thescrew-pockets for the reception of the screws by which this is fastenedto the door. Fig. VI is an elevation of the interior of the lock withthe face-plate removed. Fig. VII is a perspective view of thelatch-operating mechanism.

A may indicate a part of a door or other object to which my improvedlock is applied.

B represents the lock-case on the inside of the door; C, the escutcheonor' tumbler-case, and D the annular escutcheon plate or collar on theoutside of the door.

E represents the key to operate the tumblers F and the plug G ot' usualconstruction in this class of locks.

II represents a connecting-bar to connect the plug G and the roll-backor T-head I, which operates the spring latch or bolt K of usualconstruction. The key-plug G is provided at its inner end with a lug Land slot for the reception of the end of the connecting-bar H, which isprovided with a transverse slot 71, to receive the lug L on the keyplug,thus connecting the end ot the connecting-bar to the key-plug, asdescribed in the patent of Warren H. Taylor, already referred to,positively, but not rigidly-that is to say, the said connecting-bar issecured against endwisc movement and is so confined to the key-plug asto partake ot the rotary movement of the latter; but the free end ot thesaid connecting-bar is permitted to play laterally in the aperture ofthe door, so as to facilitate the application on the inside of the doorof the latch-case, Within which the inner A end of the saidconnecting-bar is received and held.

The connecting-bar II is made of sufiicient length to extend throughdoors of maximum thickness, and it is passed to anindetinite extent,regulated by the thickness of the door, through a slot t' in theroll-back I or T-head, which receives the rotary movement transmittedfrom the key-hub G by the connecting-bar I'I, and by its arms I actsupon the cross-head or lugs k' upon the ends of the v shank-rods K ofthe latch to retract the same in the usual Way.

The thumb-knob by which the latch K is operated from the inside is shownat N. This is provided with the customary internal T- head or lugs n,which operate on the lugs 7c ot the latch-rods K when the said thu inb-knob is turned in either direction, and the shank of said thumb-knobbeing in line with the con necting-bar Il is excavated or formed with alongitudinal cavity N', extending nearly throughout its length, so thatthe said connecting-bar may extend and project Within the shank of thethumb-knob to an indefinite extent when required by the application ofthe lock to a thin door, as illustrated in Figs. I and III.

As is usual with this class of locks the external escutcheon andtumbler-case C' and the annular escutcheon plate or collar D are securedto the door from the inside by connecting-screws T, which pass through aholdingplate'U or lock-case on the inside of the door and enter suitablescrew-holes or threaded sockets prepared for them in the escutcheon. Inmy improved mode of securing the escutchcon and tumbler-case andconnecting the holding-screws T thereto I employ adjustable pockets V,internally threaded to provide sockets for the reception of theholding-screws T and having paired transverse notches o in their sides,two or more such pairs of notches being provided at intervals so as topermit the longitudinal adj ustment of the said screwpockets Vrelatively to the escutcheon and tumbler-case, the said screw-pocketsbeing applied to forked or notched lugs c', projecting laterally fromthe tumbler-case C', as shown. It will thus appear that in applying thelock to a thin door, as illustrated in Figs. I and III, thescrew-pockets V may be retired almost completely within the thickness ofthe tumbler-case, and thus any necessary part of the length of thescrews themselves may be taken up Within the thickness of the IIOtumbler-case, so as to bring the holdingplate U as close to the innerface of the tumbler-caseas the thickness of the door may require. If thelock is to be applied to a slightly-thicker door, this can beaccommodated Within the limit of the length of the holding-screwswithout shifting the screwpockets V; but for a much thicker door thescrew-pockets are advanced to the position shown in Figs. II and IV, theprojection of the said screw-pockets being supplemented by any necessarypart of the length of the screws themselves. I thus provide a range ofadjustment to suit variations in the thickness of doors nearly equal tothe length of the holding -screws added to the distance between thenotches on the screw-pockets. By this simple and ready means ofadjustment I adapt the same lock and its attachments for application toa door of any thickness within usual limits-say from seven-eighths of aninch to two and one-fourth inches. It is manifest that screw-pockets otgreater length and with more than two pairs of notches may be employed,if it be desired to adapt the lock for application to a door` ofexcessive thickness, or longer screws or pockets may be provided inaddition to those represented, which are proportioned to correspondnearly with the length of the tumbler'- case, so that the holding-platemay be brought nearly in contact with the inner face of thetumbler-case, as shown in Figs. I and III, in applying the lock to athin door.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A tumbler-case or escutcheon member for locks, provided withscrew-threaded pockets longitudinally adjustable relatively to saidtumbler-case for the reception of the holding-screws by which the saidtumbler-case is secured to a holding-plate on the opposite side of thedoor, as explained.

2. In combination with the escutcheon or tumbler-case and aholding-plate or internal lock-case and connecting-screws for securingthe same to a door, the screw-pockets V, provided with notches U, andlugs c on the tumbler-case for securing the screw-pockets adjustably tosaid tumbler-case, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of an escutcheon or tumbler-case withlongitudinally-adjustable screw-pockets, holding-screws engaging in saidpockets to secure the escutcheon to a holding-plate on the interior of adoor of .any required thickness, a latch-bolt and slotted roll-back foractuating the same in the internal lock-case, a connecting-bar rotatedby a key-plug in the escutcheon and passing to an indefinite distancethrough the -slotted roll-back and transmitting rotary movement thereto,and a hollow thumb-knob permitting the projection of the connecting-barwithin it, the whole co-operating to permit the adaptation andapplication of the attaching-screws and the operating-bar to doors ofvarious thicknesses, as explained.

4. The combination of the tumbler-case C', rotating plug G,connecting-bar H, slotted roll-back or cross-head I, door-latch K', thumbknob N, excavated longitudinally for the reception of the projectingend of the bar, connecting-screws T for securing the tumblercase to thedoor, and the screw-pockets V, longitudinally adjustable relatively tothe tumbler-case to permit the application of the lock to doors ofdifferent thicknesses, substantially as explained.

WALDO R. BALLOU.

Witnesses:

SCHUYLER MERRITT, GEO. E. WHITE.

